Falling
by alyssialui
Summary: He never wanted to see her get back up more than in that moment. Albus/Ariana sibling fic. Character death.


_A/N: He never wanted to see her get back up more than in that moment. Albus/Ariana sibling fic._

 _Submission for:_

 _ **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments): **Muggle Studies Assignment #9 -Write a story beginning with someone falling. Prompts: 'Maybe, possibly', "For God's sake, move!"_

 _ **The Battlefield Wars:** Battle #2 - Albus Dumbledore. Ariana Dumbledore. Prompt - The characters have a sibling-like relationship_

 _ **Kill That Character (or not) Competition:** Level 3 - Must write about character death. Prompts: champion, depression, imprint, heart, light, lips, current_

 _ **New Years Millionaire Fanfiction Resolutions & Goals Competition!: **Dumbledore's PoV_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter._

* * *

Her tiny gasp drew his attention out of his book, just in time for him to see her body hit the wooden floor of the living room. This was a common occurrence around the Dumbledore household since Ariana had begun taking her first steps. Their mother had been overjoyed the morning she had walked right into her arms, and now she was walking everywhere, moving her hands along the walls and furniture to guide her way.

It seemed like only yesterday Ariana had been born, though it had actually been almost a year ago. He remembered standing next to his brother at his mother's bedside as she held the baby to her chest. She smiled at them with tired eyes before calling them closer to see their new sister. While his brother's eyes had gone wide, his eyes had narrowed. She was so small, so vulnerable and defenseless. She was just going to be a burden.

As time went by, his attitude towards his new sister hardly changed. He didn't like being around her. She cried a lot, keeping him awake in the early morning hours, and made a mess of everything she got her tiny hands on. Aberforth didn't mind the crying or the mess. He thought it was cute and enjoyed playing with her and making faces to hear her laugh. Albus didn't see the point. She was too young to understand the world around her and she wouldn't remember these moments when she got older.

But for some reason, Ariana loved to find him. Whenever he was reading or practicing his writing, he could hear her soft babbling coming slowly towards him, punctuated by the soft plop of her diapered bum on the floor every now and then.

However, this time, she had fallen on her face, the groove leaving a faint, pink imprint on her soft cheek. She scrunched up her face as if to cry, most babies would do so for even the slightest discomfort, but she didn't.

She pulled herself back onto her feet and tried again, taking slower and more sure steps towards him until she stood right before him. She launched forward, drool dribbling pass her plump pink lips as she squealed in happiness, the fabric of his trousers bunched in her little fists to steady herself.

Despite himself, he smiled at her excitement, holding out a finger for her tiny hand to wrap around. Maybe, possibly, he could grow to like her. If there was one thing he could admire about Ariana, it was that when she fell, she always got back up.

* * *

Her soft cry drew his attention away from the tray in his hands, just in time for him to see her body hit the rug next to her bed. With a sigh, he placed her lunch on the table by her bed before he stepped forward. This was a common occurrence around the Dumbledore household since her encounter with those Muggle boys.

Ariana had been playing alone outside in the garden when she let out a frightening scream. Their father had rushed outside with wand held before him, firing spells to protect his daughter, as their mother rushed to Ariana's side.

It didn't take long before the other villagers found out about the crazy man who attacked children with sticks. Aurors were alerted and their father was taken away to Azkaban. Their mother could not withstand the whispers and stares alone, falling into depression after she packed up their family and moved them all to Godric's Hollow.

But the person who had changed the most was Ariana. No one knew exactly what they had done to her but she was different. She was no longer her vibrant, colourful self and spent most of her days in her bedroom. The healers had said they damaged her magical core, making her prone to random outburst of uncontrollable energy, which were more likely to occur when she was under a lot of stress.

He stooped at her side, placing his hands under her arms but she shrugged off his help. He leaned back, watching as she placed her palms on the carpet and pushed with trembling hands and legs. Though she fell a few more times, she eventually got herself back into her bed, offering him a tired yet triumphant smile.

He returned her smile before placing her lunch on her lap. He took a seat beside her on the bed, watching her eat as he spoke about his day. Though her body was weak, her heart was still strong. She was a champion and when she fell, she would always get back up.

* * *

Her frightened scream drew his attention away from the duel around him, just in time for him to see her body hit the ground. They had been fighting again, a common occurrence around the Dumbledore household since Gellert had moved into Godric's Hollow.

Once their mother had passed away, he had taken the main duty of caring for Ariana while Aberforth continued with his studies at Hogwarts. Though he loved Ariana, he began to feel stifled within the confines of his home and his mundane routine.

That changed when Gellert had arrived. The blonde foreigner was a radical and had been exposed to different cultures and societies during his life. He spoke of a world that existed beyond this small, forgotten village, which caused Albus to question his current way of life. There was much to be seen and much to do out there. His intelligence was being stifled, his talents wasted, and he couldn't explore if he were to stay with his younger siblings.

However, Aberforth hadn't seen it that way. Aberforth chided him every time he spoke of leaving. He was abandoning his family for someone he had just met, deserting Ariana in her time of need while he was off pursuing some farfetched dream.

Their different views on the matter always inspired conflict between Gellert and his brother, but today had been different. Today was the first time they had drawn their wands on each other.

Amidst the spells whizzing past him him, he had heard when the back-door of their home had burst open and she flew down the steps and into the yard. Worry was etched into every premature crinkle on her face as she ran towards them, falling a few times but quickly getting back on her feet.

But what was she doing out here? She was supposed to have been occupied in her bedroom. He wanted to tell her to go back inside, to go back into the house where it was safer, but he was pulled into the fight once more. Aberforth had sent another pulse of light his way and he had just barely dodged it.

She was screaming at them, her arms flailing to get their attention, trying everything she could to get them to stop. But no one heard her, no one saw her. No one stopped until it was too late.

All sounds and spells ceased as they stared at her motionless form. No one knew who had fired, but that hadn't changed the result. Aberforth had rushed to her side while Gellert had made a quick exit through the gate. However, _he_ remained rooted to the spot.

His hands fell to his sides. This couldn't have happened. This wasn't supposed to happen. He wanted to scream, he wanted to shout, _"For God's sake, move!"_

Instead he just watched helplessly as Aberforth tried to everything to revive her, praying for his success. Out of every time Ariana had fallen, he had never wanted to see her get back up more than in this moment.


End file.
